Teaching jobs in HK/nearby

[carreauchompeur]

Folks,

Possibly slightly off topic however sometimes worth a try...

I'm looking for a complete change of scenery, currently in South America completing my CELTA English teaching qualification and whilst I wouldn't mind staying, the pay here is not the best. Therefore I am now looking for EFL teaching jobs to start this 'Autumn' (IE Sept/Oct).

Hong Kong is definitely my first choice but would also consider Shenzhen/Guangzhou etc. Or even somewhere somewhat less pressured like Vietnam, however I need a fairly substantive job for my first posting rather than bits and pieces.

So, if you hear of anything coming up I'd be very interested to hear it. I'm not a 'gap yearer' looking for a bit of cash, more a change of career, before this I've spent 12 years in a very challenging work environment.

Thanks!

Sam

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks KH, good shout.

That's the main problem with HK, most of the well-paying public school jobs require education degrees, etc.

There is plenty of work out there, just have to see what comes up nearer the time I think. I'm possibly going to try for the Korean government teaching programme which pays very well but is slightly more work than I was hoping for

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks Andy, good shout. Are you teaching in Shanghai? I visited last October and stayed with some English teachers who seemed to be onto a good thing, not 100% sure it's the city for me but certainly a step in the right direction!

Definitely not intending on going the illegal route if I end up in mainland China... Seems like a fast track to a complete nightmare, the Chinese are... Intransigent enough with simple matters when you've done nothing wrong!

Finish my CELTA tomorrow... Phew!

[carreauchompeur]

shirt said:

where abouts in south america are you? does the qualification and teaching environment there provide the opportunity to become proficient in spanish?

i was in central america for a few months last year and loved it but seems i can't get permanent work there without being able to speak the lingo. now sat on a job in west africa having a career wobble, thinking of jacking in and immersing myself in a learning environment for a year or so, taking a general career break etc. before pursuing something more in line with my current profession.

Hi,

I'm currently in Argentina. On the whole, I would say that the job situation is such that you really do have to be local to get a job. There are so many restrictions and admin processes around getting a visa, DNI (Identity number) and so on that companies aren't going to hire you unless you do something special or they really need an English person. Plus, for most jobs you really do need fluent Spanish. I've been here in South America for 4 months and I'm still not even nearly there. It's an uphill struggle!

On the (far) brighter side though, if you fancy a departure there is loads of English teaching work here in BA and you can easily get by on minimal Spanish. You don't need to go down the formal visa route in the first instance either. So, all good.

The pay is not, by any means, great. Private tutoring, which takes a while to build up, pays £7-8 per TEACHING hour (so factor in lots of travel time, prep etc.). Work for agencies in company classes and 1-1 tends to pay nearer £5-£6ph. You can get institute work but Wall St, one of the main ones, pays even less than this. They do however sponsor you for a visa so if you want to stay long term this is a great first step.

You'll need some form of TEFL certificate, these can be had online for minimal outlay. I've just finished a CELTA course, which is an insanely intensive 4-week course costing a grand. This is extremely well regarded however and opens doors to higher tier jobs all over the world. Not worth it for a short-term gig, but I want to consider changing careers too.

Think about China or Vietnam, or similar countries. With the right mindset you can earn good money, a friend of mine has just started out teaching in Saigon and is on about £1000/month... He's only got an online TEFL! With the cost of living there that's a king's ransom.

I too pursued vague dreams of coming over here and setting up a business or tourism venture but the truth is you have to give it years to get established, get legal (Need to be sponsored for a visa, etc). Maybe some time in the future, I gather there is good demand for English teaching in the Northern provinces as native speakers are far less numerous.

BA is a great city, and Argentina a great country. But the guilf between wages and prices is a big one, and particularly in BA it takes a LOT to sustain the life you may have led in the UK. Cost of most things in supermarkets, coffees out and about etc isn't far off the UK. Housing's a bit cheaper to rent but again, loads of hurdles to get something long term (Plenty of reasonable short term rooms for around £200-£300 a month though all in).

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me, or for inspiration from what I've spent the last 8 months doing, have a look at...

Www.loquitohermoso.com

[carreauchompeur]

You're quite right about Latinas being fun, proper rollercoaster! At least I'm kind of ready for it now, and some of the matches on Tinder here are insane

I haven't actually left previous career yet, I'm still on a career break but think it unlikely I will return. Very unlikely. For me it was a kind of 'why not' moment. I loved my job for the first 11 years, but the last year until last summer was horrific, with no chances of getting better any time soon. Massive cuts, excessive workload and the first time I've ever truly suffered from stress due to the extremely risky workload and lack of staff to effectively deal with it.

I'm not sure if teaching will be the long term solution but I have found I really enjoy it, it's also refreshing to know that the worst that can happen at work on any given day is that someone might not learn their verb conjugations properly.

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks very much, great tips.

I'm currently in the process of desperately cobbling together an application form for the Korean EPIK programme before I leave civilisation again but will definitely bear your kind offer in mind...

7000RMB isn't a lot of pay, but then 10hrs a week isn't a lot of work, so it's definitely worth considering. I'd ideally like somewhere a bit warmer, however Korea's not exactly renowned for its toasty winters!!

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks Fred, sorry- just flicked back through some threads and found that I hadn't replied! Fate being the fickle thing it is I have now found myself an extremely good little number in the Galápagos Islands for the foreseeable...